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- Touring the
Seventh Tribunal
- Interviewing Tai
Shan Wang of the Prison of Red Hot Bricks
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- JiGong:
In the ancient book called
“Yu Li Bao Chao Quan Shi Wen,” the author was
ordered by “Tian Di”
that his soul should tour Hades. Tian Di instructed
him to write the Book after he had completed his
tour of Hades in order to teach human beings to do
more good than evil. Nowadays, the world has changed
for the worse; so accordingly the mode of punishment
in Hades will have to be changed to meet present day
sins. The purpose of writing, printing and
distributing this Book, Diyu Youji has the advantage
of doing good deeds because those who read it will
be influenced to do more good deeds than evil deeds.
Those who devotedly read this Book and endeavour to
follow the right path will eventually attain the
correct moral philosophy. We must prepare to tour
Hades again today and so Yang Sheng, get up on the
lotus flower platform.
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- Yang Sheng:
Yes, Sir, I am securely seated. Dear Master, we can
start….
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- JiGong:
We have arrived; get down.
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- Yang Sheng:
Where are we going today?
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- JiGong:
Look, before us is the Seventh Tribunal. Tai Shan
Wang has seen us and has stood up to receive us.
Quickly go and pay your respects.
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- Tai Shan Wang:
I welcome both of you, JiGong and Sheng Xian Tang’s
Yang Sheng; do come inside and have a seat.
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- Yang Sheng:
Thank you very much, Tai Shan Wang. Today we have
come here on a visit and I am honoured that both
your Civil and Military officials have lined up to
receive us. I can also see many sinful souls inside
this place and Tai Shan Wang, on seeing us
approaching, has stopped temporarily dealing with
those sinful souls to come and receive us.
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- Tai Shan Wang:
I am aware of the hardships and inconveniences which
both of you are going through to visit Hades in
order to write the Book and I accordingly offer you
my greatest respects. I will ask the General to
serve Heavenly Tea.
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- General:
Yes, Sir…Tea is served, respected Sirs.
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- Yang Sheng:
Thank you for your kind hospitality.
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- Tai Shan Wang:
No need to stand on ceremony. The present day world
is on the decline. Fortunately, Sheng Xian Tang of
Taiwan, through planchette writings has issued and
distributed so many books to urge people to do good
deeds. Today, you have come here to gather data for
the Book, Diyu Youji so that human beings can read
and thereby try and do good deeds – this is no small
matter. Now that you are here, it is my humble duty
to do everything I can to make your mission a
complete success it deserves.
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- JiGong:
Thank you very much, Tai Shan Wang for instructing
us. The intention to help and redeem humanity is in
the hearts of everyone. In case we have not
conducted ourselves properly, I pray that you will
forgive us.
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- Tai Shan Wang:
Do not be so modest. It is customary that when a
person dies, his family will observe the 7 by 7th
day death ceremony prayers by employing monks to
chant prayers hoping to release the soul from
sufferings. The living tend to believe that the
observance of the first 7th day ceremony
will help to lead the soul through the 1st
Tribunal, the second 7th day ceremony
will help to lead through the 2nd
Tribunal, and so on and so forth, until the seventh
7th day ceremony which should lead the
soul through the 7th Tribunal. It is not
easy as all that. The kith and kin do not know that
during the lifetime of the deceased he might have
committed a lot of sins, and by observing the 7 by 7th
day ceremonies, within 49 days they expect the soul
of the deceased to reach the 7th
Tribunal. They think that after passing through the
7th Tribunal, the soul would
automatically pass through the 8th, 9th
and 10th Tribunals and then be ready for
rebirth. I would therefore, advise the living not to
waste so much money in paying for chanting of
prayers in connection with the 7 by 7th
day ceremonies; rather, when one is still alive it
is better that he does more good deeds than evil
deeds. Therefore, when one is alive, one must
endeavour to do good whenever possible so that the
accumulation of good deeds done during one’s
lifetime will result in the “lucky saints” coming to
guide the soul on its journey at death. No need to
waste money by paying for chanting of prayers
because no amount of chanting can help a sinful soul
to escape the punishment that awaits him in the
various Tribunals in Hades. I hope human beings will
take note of this very important point.
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- Yang Sheng:
Why do the living always talk of 7 by 7th
day, why not 8 by 7th or 9 by 7th
or 10 by 7th day?
-
- Officer:
In Hades the most important Tribunals are the first
7 Tribunals; it is in these 7 Tribunals that most
sins are punished and the 8th, 9th
and 10th Tribunals will only dealt with
any leftover sins not dealt with by the first 7
Tribunals. It is good that descendants of dead
persons should observe filial piety after death but
it is definitely preferable that all parties, while
still living should do good deeds.
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- JiGong:
When a person dies, his soul will have to undergo
punishment in the various Tribunals until his soul
is due for rebirth. The descendants naturally wish
the soul to be released from much sufferings. They,
therefore, must do good deeds so as to influence the
Heads of the various Tribunals to remit the sins of
their forebears, this is a better method of
approach. If the descendants want to engage monks to
chant prayers, the prayers will be effective only
when chanted by monks who are very pious, otherwise
the prayers will not have any effect and money will
be wasted. I would suggest to human beings that it
is very much better to respect their elders when
they are still alive, e.g. to feed them with a grain
of rice when they are living is much better than
offering them a feast or wine after they are dead.
Another way to relieve the suffering of the soul of
a dead person is for the children to print and
distribute religious books. By doing this kind of
good deed; the soul of the dead will not suffer so
much. This is one way of thanking the deceased.
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- Yang Sheng:
Dear Master, what you have just said is like a
needle poking the flesh of a person and immediately
blood oozes out and is very effective and valuable.
There are many people who do not care much for their
parents when they were alive but when the parents
die, they realize the usefulness of the dead, very
much like the leaves of a tree which we want to see
remain still and motionless, but a sudden gust of
wind comes and blows to move the leaves – the
children now want to be filial to their parents but
alas, too late as the parents have died. Can I ask
dear Master, why is it that when a person dies, his
soul in Hades takes the shape and form of the person
himself although his earthly body has already
decayed?
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-
- JiGong:
That is the illusory form of the dead person. As
time is rather limited, can Tai Shan Wang please
conduct us for a look of the Prison here in the
Seventh Tribunal?
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- Tai Shan Wang:
The most important Prison here is the
Prison of the Red Hot
Bricks and there are also 16 small Prisons.
When sinful souls are sent here, I judge them with
impartiality – there is no question of gratitude or
pity. Now I will bring both of you to see what goes
on here.
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- Yang Sheng:
This is most kind of you; I wish to thank Tai Shan
Wang.
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- Tai Shan Wang:
All Civil and Military Officers please get ready to
escort both of them inside to see the works.
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- All Officers:
Yes, Sir…..
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- Yang Sheng:
When I follow behind Tai ShanWang, I have a sense
and feeling of awe because he is so very strict and
righteous.
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- JiGong: In Hades, there is no such thing
as favour or favourites or any other consideration –
the only governing factor is dependent on the amount
of good deeds a deceased person had done when he was
alive. If a person leads an evil life on Earth, when
he dies, his soul in Hades will be disturbed and
tormented by evil spirits, but if he leads a good
life, when he dies, his soul in Hades will be
protected and escorted by angels.
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- Yang Sheng:
My body is feeling very hot as the flames here are
glowing skywards. At the top of the gate are the
words “Prison of Red Hot
Bricks.” The wall is made of red bricks.
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- JiGong:
These bricks are called “fire bricks” – the stronger
the fire burns, the harder the bricks become.
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- Prison Officer:
Welcome Tai Shan Wang.
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- Tai Shan Wang:
I have brought JiGong and Sheng Xian Tang’s Yang
Sheng here for a look around. All of you line up to
receive them.
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- All Officers:
Yes, Sir.
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- Tai Shan Wang:
This is the “Red Hot Bricks Prison.”
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- Yang Sheng:
Because of the great heat here, I find difficulty in
breathing. The floor is paved with red bricks and
the fire underneath makes the floor bricks red hot;
sinful souls walking the length of red hot brick
floor keep tumbling and rolling on it, wailing
loudly because of the pain. Outside, new sinful
souls before entering, on seeing the suffering
inside, start crying as if their dear ones have just
died and are afraid to enter. The soldiers of Hades
do not stand on ceremony but just push them in. At
the beginning, the floor is not hot but it gets
hotter and hotter as the journey progresses until
when the bare feet of the souls cannot stand the
heat of the floor, they start to jump and lose their
balance, roll on the hot floor, the more they roll,
the more feet and bodies get burnt. What sins are
they being punished for?
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- Tai Shan Wang:
This Prison is specially for punishing the following
types of sinners:
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- 1] Those who
over-aspire for fame and gain, with the sole aim of
enriching themselves.
- 2] Those who are more
inclined towards the opposite sex but are heartless
and unhelpful to those of their own sex.
- 3] Those who exploit
or take undue advantage of the misfortunes of
others.
- 4] Those who are hot
tempered and often curse Heaven and Earth.
- 5] Opportunists who
use stealthy means for their own selfish ends and
benefits.
- 6] Those who worship
the rich and influential but despise and look down
upon the poor and less fortunate.
- 7] Those who are
partial and without virtue in all their dealings.
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- All these types of sinful souls will have to be
sent to this Prison for punishment which is
comparatively light because if a sinful soul can
manage to walk the whole length of this red hot
brick floor for 300 (li); then only can his sins be
mitigated. But to complete this distance depends
upon the gravity of the sins committed on Earth,
some taking as long as 5 years. Those who are less
sinful do not feel the bricks so hot because the
temperature is automatically regulated to suit each
individual soul, whereas for those who are more
sinful, the temperature is automatically adjusted
and increased. Those who manage to complete the
walk-through and still have some other types of sins
awaiting punishment will have to be sent to the 16
Small Prisons which can be reached by a side road
but the heat of the red hot bricks is much reduced.
On entering the 16 Small Prisons the sinful souls
will have to undergo punishment depending upon the
nature of their sins.
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- JiGong:
As we are running short of time, we have to take
leave but we will visit again; so we must say
goodbye.
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- Tai ShanWang:
Since you have to leave, we don’t want to hold you
any longer. I will order the Generals to line up and
bid goodbye.
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- Yang Sheng:
Thank you, Tai Shan Wang, for personally
entertaining us.
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- JiGong:
Yang Sheng, quickly get up on the lotus flower
platform.
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- Yang Sheng:
I’m safely seated, dear Master, we can start now….
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- JiGong:
We have arrived at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, get
down. Soul, return to your body.
